WSJT-X 2.0 Will Be a Mandatory Update

WSJT-X
co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, has announced that major changes are
coming to the FT8 and MSK144 digital protocols when WSJT-X version 2.0
arrives in a few months. Taylor said version 2.0 should be ready for
prime time by January.

The “Significant Changes” article lists a potential WSJX-X 2.0 features—including ARRL Field Day operation with standard Field Day exchanges and A special telemetry message format for exchanging arbitrary information up to 71 bits—which, according to K1JT, will “work seamlessly and automatically … No contest mode checkboxes are needed”.1

These new features will not be backwards compatible. “It will be essential for users to upgrade to version 2.0 in order to use the new features and communicate with others who have made the upgrade.”2